Flex Alert extended to Thursday evening as California’s late-summer temperatures soar
As hot temperatures blast California this week, managers of the state’s electricity grid have issued a plea for power conservation.
The California Independent System Operator first issued a Flex Alert for Wednesday evening and then extended it for Thursday evening, citing high temperatures and a potential strain on the state’s power supplies. The alert covers 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night.
The alert was issued because of intense heat affecting much of California and the western United States, according to a news release from California ISO. Northern California inland temperatures were expected to be 3-10 degrees warmer than normal. In Southern California, temperatures were expected to be 5-10 degrees warmer than normal through the weekend, primarily for the interior part of the state.
The National Weather Service said temperatures could reach 110 degrees in parts of the Sacramento Valley late Wednesday.
Most Valley locations will be between 100 and 105 degrees, while the Sierra foothills below 5,000 feet could be between 90 and 105, according to the weather service.
“With above-normal temperatures in the forecast for much of California and the West, the power grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use,” the Folsom-based ISO said in a news release. “The increased demand can make electricity supplies tight and strain the power grid, making conservation essential.”
The grid manager has now called eight Flex Alerts already this year as the ISO labors to prevent a repeat of August 2020, when an intense heat wave caused rolling blackouts on two back-to-back nights.
During a Flex Alert, residents are urged to set thermostats at 78 degrees or higher, avoid running major appliances and taking other steps to conserve. They’re also urged to “pre-cool” their homes by running air conditioners earlier in the day.
More information on Flex Alerts is available at flexalert.org.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Flex Alert extended to Thursday evening as California’s late-summer temperatures soar."